A strong sense of community pride, passion and inspiration filled the air as 
1,600 guests shared the magical experience of the 2012 Annual Tribute Luncheon and Symposium.
Join us in celebrating the success of this event.
We are grateful for our friends, partners, volunteers and sponsors
who generously support our work of imparting hope to families in Memphis.

"Memphis is full of people and organizations doing important work away from the TV cameras and without headlines. The Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis heads that list.
The luncheon was beautiful in every way. It made me proud to be a Memphian!"
-Nancy C.

If you missed the luncheon, you still have opportunity to support social change 
that creates a more vibrant community where you live and work:

Honor the special women in your life by purchasing the
Women's Foundation Signature Scarf designed by Hilton Hollis.
The scarf and its colors symbolize strength and the promise of a "Greater Memphis."

Buy now!

Take the Hyde Challenge!

Increase your yearly gift by June 30, 2012
and the Hyde Challenge Grant will match it.
Give a first time gift of $100
and it will be matched dollar for dollar.

Learn more ...

Please tell us how you "embraced the magic" during any of the Symposium events by posting a comment on Facebook or tweeting@wfgm_org.

Learn more about the 2012 honorees.

2011 Legends Award Honorees
Barbara R. Hyde | Onie Johns | Deanie Parker | Marguerite Piazza | Annie Laurie Ervin Willis (1925-2010)

The Commercial Appeal salutes the 2011 Legends Award Honorees. Read the article.

2010 Legends Award Honorees
Dr. JoeAnn Ballard | Lois DeBerry | Gayle S. Rose | Rebecca Webb Wilson | Jocelyn Dan Wurzburg

2009 Legends Award Honorees
Minerva Johnican | Susan Sanford | Maxine Smith | Dr. Jane Walters | Happy Jones and Jeanne Varnell

Effective February 1, 2012,
our new office is located at:

One Commerce Square
40 S. Main Street, Suite 2380
Memphis, TN 38103

We are pleased to welcome the following dynamic women to serve on the 2011-2012 Women's Foundation Board of Directors.

• Meri Armour, President/CEO, Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center
• Toni L. Boland, Specialist - Sustainable Business and Innovation, NIKE
• Carolyn Hardy, President/CEO, Chism Hardy Enterprises, LLC
• Elise L. Jordan, Senior Vice President, Strategic and Financial Planning, Analysis and Business Systems, FedEx Express
• Gretchen W. McLennon, Program Officer, Hyde Family Foundations
• Nisha Powers, Majority Owner/President, Powers Hill Design, LLC
• Stacie Waddell, Philanthropist

View the 2011-2012 Grantee Listing

FedEx Awards $375,000 to support Memphis HOPE
FedEx recently announced a donation of $375,000 over three years to the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis to support Memphis HOPE Comprehensive Community Supportive Services for Cleaborn Homes revitalization project. Read more ...

Urban Strategies Presents Stellar Leadership Award to WFGM
Thanks to Urban Strategies, Inc. who presented a gift of $125,000 at our Annual Meeting on June 16, 2011 and honored WFGM with the inaugural Stellar Leader Award. 

A Leap of Faith
The Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis is featured in the March/April edition of MBQ Inside Memphis Business in an article titled "A Leap of Faith: The Women's Foundation takes bold steps to break the cycle of poverty in Memphis." Read the article.

Executive Director Ruby Bright is featured in Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, The Source for News, Ideas and Action as a co-author of the article, Helping Low-Income Women Access Quality Child Care is Vital to Fixing Our Economy.

In this commentary, two lead members of the Women’s Economic Security Campaign – Ruby Bright, executive director of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, and Merri Ex, executive director of Chicago Foundation for Women – discuss findings from the group’s new report, Child Care Matters: Building Economic Security for Low-Income Women. The authors argue that the economy cannot recover if low-income women lack access to quality early care and education for their children, which is vital to securing stable employment and ensuring long-term security for their families. The authors provide recommendations that would increase access to affordable, quality child care for low-income women and improve training and compensation for child care workers, including increased funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Head Start.

To read this article and more, view the newsletter in its entirety.

Twelve Women's Funds in the South:
Common Context, Collective Impact

Women's funds offer a unique model for philanthropy that creates deep-rooted, systemic change through the empowerment of women and girls. WFGM is one of 12 women's funds working collectively to address the critical issues affecting women in the southern United States. Read the report ...

Take Action Now.

Sign on as a partner in the WESC Memphis.

Memphis H.O.P.E. - Health * Opportunity * Pride * Empowerment
A Vision of Change for Dixie Homes and University Place Residents

Take a look at the WMC TV story on "Taking Back Our Neighborhoods," featuring youth who are taking part in the Memphis HOPE summer job training intiative.

With a little help - and lots of HOPE - the future can look most bright. Such is the attitude that the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis, The Memphis Housing Authority, Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare and others are bringing to the revitalization of Dixie Homes and University Place.

The approach taken by Memphis HOPE has never before been tried. Indeed, we are in uncharted waters. Under Memphis HOPE, the "revitalization" of dilapidated housing projects no longer means a repair here and there, or a new coat of paint. It means transforming lives. The hoped-for result is one the Women's Foundation seeks on a daily basis: lasting systemic and social change.

Through focused assistance, we are helping the former residents develop a life plan so that they can live their best lives, and give their children that chance as well. Using new models and mentoring, we are tracking their successes. As a result, the women themselves can see the success. The community as a whole, too, can see the change we all have helped to achieve through a little help and lots of hope.

We hope you will join us as we undertake this journey of social transformation and building the lives of women.

For an overview of the HOPE project, including the history, milestones and future plans, click here>>

To see pictures from Memphis HOPE initiatives, take a look at our photo gallery>>

Memphis HOPE participants answer the question, "What does HOPE mean to me?" >>